Left Neglected: The Power of the Mind

“Left Neglect…is a real neurological syndrome that occurs due to damage to the right hemisphere of the brain, such as might follow a right-hemisphere stroke” (Genova 323). Lisa Genova, author of “Left Neglected”, explores the bewildering neurological disorder of Left Neglect through the eyes of Sarah Nickerson. Sarah is a multi-tasking champion who holds a prestigious position as the vice president of human resources at Berkley Consulting, is a mother of three kids, and a wife to her husband Bob Nickerson, who also holds a prestigious position at another company. Life for Sarah is hectic, fast paced, and constantly moving. If it isn’t something regarding work, then it’s her children, or other priorities that seem to pile up as Sarah moves through out her life. Her fast paced life comes to a sudden halt, as one day she is apart of a severe car accident. Sarah’s next memory is waking up in the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital and learning that she has suffered an injury to her brain that has caused a condition known as Left Neglect, and this is where Sarah’s journey throughout the novel begins.

To begin, it seems the cliché phrase of “mind over matter” really connects to a lot of the experiences and symptoms that Sarah suffered from her Left Neglect. In reality, an individual experiences two sides to the world, the left and the right. The traumatic brain injury sustained from the accident caused Sarah’s mind to completely disassociate from the left. Sarah’s whole left side became non-existent. It didn’t matter what actually was in front of Sarah, what mattered is what her mind brought attention to. It seems like Genova tore a page straight from the Twilight Zone, for initially one could only imagine this disorder existing in th...

... middle of paper ...

...latively normal and happy life with her family in their new home in Vermont by adjusting to her new mental environment.

In conclusion, “Left Neglected” truly helps one understand the importance of the brain and the massive effects that injuring it can have. An injury itself is life threatening, a recovery may not even occur. Huge life adjustments may need to be made. The brain is the life force for any living animal, and it is important to realize that further understanding the areas of the brain and how they are interconnected in forming the reality in which every human being can see can only help solve problems for people like Sarah Nickerson. For the time being, the first step we can take is prevention and maybe driving a little slower to work when we are on the freeway.

Works Cited

Genova, Lisa. Left neglected: a novel. New York: Gallery Books, 2011. Print.